Hammond Providore is what you get when you combine one woman’s unique skill set with a gap in a regional food market.
After 18 years in the Melbourne fashion industry, Michelle Theodore and her family weighed up whether to move to Tasmania or Echuca-Moama.
Thankfully, for those river dwelling locals who want the best of both worlds (a rural lifestyle and an urban food offering) they chose the latter.
“I practically lived at South Melbourne market,” said Michelle, who worked for fashion label Scanlon & Theodore before switching lanes into the food sector.
“When we moved to Moama, I still wanted artisan sourdough breads, croissants and ready-made meals. I wanted a gourmet pantry selection and I knew others did too.”
Michelle, who confirms she is by no means a qualified chef, started out catering for dinner parties, weddings and birthdays. And with a passion for cooking good food, is now booked out until 2025 with events.
Moama, part of the Murray River Council, is the third fastest growing shire in NSW, driving Michelle to fulfil a dream of hers and establish a providore in the main street.
“The space we are in used to be an opp shop of sorts. We came in one day looking for a hippie costume for a party and I said to my husband, ‘I’m going to turn this shop into a food store’,” Michelle said.
The building in question is not only framed in original red brick and timber bones, but laden with history. Formerly known as a general store for the local community, it was owned and run by Bill Hammond — hence the name.
In 2021, after a few long years of hard work, the providore opened and is now a bustling hub on Meninya St.
“My years working at Scanlon & Theodore taught me to look for a solo building and open a store where you can draw people in. There’s room for the development of Meninya St, so we’re well positioned,” Michelle said.
The Hammond Providore concept is simple: combine the best of local produce on offer with a selection of international goods that would otherwise mean a trip to the city.
“Hammond is well curated with local food and menu items — KyValley Milk, Murray Valley Pork, Murray Gum Olive Oil, avocados from Gunbower and Barham, and eggs from Lockington,” Michelle said.
“Attention to detail has always been a strong suit when pulling local produce together.
“Organic sourdough is stone baked locally in Deniliquin by an artisan baker and features heavily on the breakfast and lunchtime offering.
“Whenever the produce is available, we take it on. We sell quality produce, so if we’ve run out, we’ve run out.”
When Country News visited Hammond Providore, mini vans and delivery trucks of goods were coming and going at a similar rate to those coming inside in need of a good coffee.
Michelle is a Melburnian at heart, meaning the coffee offering at Hammond is taken very seriously.
“My friend Trent Knox, who worked at Lavazza for a time, kept telling me to put a coffee machine in. I finally listened and I’m thankful I did.”
To keep all the plates spinning, the Hammond family comprises three chefs on rotation and three staff in store.
“All the meals are made onsite bringing that freshness to the end result,” Michelle said.
“No two days are the same at Hammond with new food items popping up on the menu for both takeaway and dine-in customers.”
While Echuca-Moama has long been a river destination, Hammond Providore is redefining how this food producing region sees itself, showcasing what is grown on the farms that flank these expanding townships.